Elflings of the First Age
by Mystic Winter
Summary: Summary: A series of vignettes looking into Celeborn, Elrond, Elros, Galadriel, Glorfindel, Erestor, and Thranduil as elflings. This is a sort-of prequel for my story "When We Were Young."
1. Bad Day

Chapter One: Bad Day

The small elfling stomped through the trees, seeking to be alone. But the four ellons behind her would not give up.

"Come on, Gwaleth-nin!" One of them called. "Tell us what is wrong!" But Galadriel paid no attention to him or her other three brothers. She only wanted to be alone. It irritated her that her brothers would not respect her wish. Galadriel began to run. She ran and ran, her four brothers following suit. The wind whipped her hair around her angry face, twigs snapped under her feet, her new, green dress snagged on low lying branches as if they were intent on stopping her. She grimaced. Her naneth would not be happy about the dress.

"Boo!" Galadriel uttered a soft scream of surprise. Her oldest brother, Finrod, had suddenly dropped out of the tree and landed right in front of her. Before she could evade him, Finrod grabbed a hold of her and slung her over his shoulder.

"Put me down, you big orc-head!" She shrieked. Finrod's fair face took on an expression of amusement. He didn't think he wanted to know where his little sister had learned such language. His amused expression suddenly turned into a frown when he realized she'd probably learned the term "orc-head" from him.

"You need to tell me what's wrong first." He instructed.

"Not until you put me down." Galadriel huffed. Finrod grinned and gently set his sister on the ground, maintaining a firm yet gentle hold on her just in case she tried to run.

"Now, tell me what's wrong." He said. Galadriel glared and the cold, leaf-covered forest floor. "Galadriel, look at me." The elfling did as she was told. She fixed her bright blue eyes on her brother's soft brown ones.

"My day is not going well at all." She sighed, her voiced colored with unhappiness. Finrod nodded, his face nothing short of serious.

"Why is that?" He asked. Galadriel kicked at the leaves, narrowly missing her oldest brother's shin.

"Everyone expects me to be a good elleth that sits inside and does her embroidery." She muttered. "And my stupid brother-"

"That stupid brother wouldn't happen to be me would it?" Finrod interrupted, his eyebrow raised. Galadriel shook her head.

"Orodreth." She told him. Finrod nodded. Orodreth could be an idiot sometimes.

"And what did our stupid brother do?" Finrod asked.

"He called me a girl!" Galadriel exclaimed. Despite all the effort Finrod put into _not_ showing any amusement, he smiled and unsuccessfully bit back a soft snort. Galadriel's glare intensified and Finrod suddenly became very serious.

"Sorry, 'Driel. What else happened?" He asked.

"Those stupid ellons took Rómil." She retorted. Finrod nodded. Rómil was her toy robin. She slept with it every night and was convinced that it kept the nightmares and the monster under her bed away.

"Did you get him back?" Finrod asked in concern. Galadriel nodded and looked down at the ground.

"Eventually." She mumbled. Finrod nodded and picked his sister up.

"Ontop of that, I've ruined my new dress." She sighed as she wrapped her arms around her brother's neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Finrod nodded. His sister's dress was torn in several places.

"You can blame it on me. Tell naneth I chased you into the bushes." He told her. Galadriel looked at her brother in shock.

"But that would be lying!" She exclaimed. "And it will get me in more trouble."

"Yes, but it _is_ partly true, isn't it?" Finrod replied, a look of pure mischief on his fair face.

"You, big brother, are more silly than Orodreth." Galadriel laughed, her mood finally brighter.


	2. Hurt

Chapter Two: Hurt

Tears ran down the six year old's face like little rivers. Sobs tore violently through him as he silently prayed to the Valar to let his Ada know what had happened to him. He hadn't known people could be so cruel. The human had seemed so nice, but apparently he had been seriously mistaken. Thranduil Oropherion rubbed his streaming eyes, his knees drawn tightly to his chest.

"Thranduil, is that you?" Thranduil scrambled to his feet and bolted into his Ada's arms. The sobs became harder and the tears came faster.

"Thranduil, what happened?" Oropher asked soothingly as he sat against the wall. But Thranduil was sobbing too hard to reply. The elven king rocked him gently, his heart breaking and his soul screaming at the sound of his son's sobs. He hated it when his son was upset. If his wife were here, she would know exactly what to do. But she had died several weeks ago in an orc attack and she could not comfort their sobbing son. Thranduil grabbed fistfuls of his Ada's tunic as he began to calm down, almost afraid of what would happen if he let go of Oropher's tunic.

"Ion-nin." Oropher whispered, his tone gentle. "Tell me what happened." Thranduil's breathing hitched, but he forced back the sobs that had begun to rise in his throat once more.

"Th-the trader." He began, his voice quite shaky. Oropher tightened his hold on his son. His stomach churned, fearing the worse. "He s-said he wanted t-to talk to me. Ada, he s-seemed so n-nice a-and I couldn't say no." Thranduil squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed back several gut-wrenching sobs.

"What did he do to you, Thranduil?" Oropher asked. His voice was shaky. He fought to stay calm, but he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried.

"H-he beat me!" Thranduil wailed. He began to sob, unable to keep himself together anymore. "I'm s-sorry Ada! I'm s-supposed t-to be str-strong!" He sobbed. Oropher swore he could feel his heart and his soul shatter. This was too much for him.

"Ion-nin, I do not expect you to _not_ cry. I would cry, too." Oropher replied. He felt a tear trickle down his cheek, but he made no move to wipe it away. "Thranduil, what that man did was terribly wrong. And you are very brave for telling me about it. I promise you, that trader will not go unpunished." Thranduil shivered. He could sense the anger in his father's voice and it made him feel… safer. He suddenly realized that his Ada also had tears running down his face. The little elfling wiped his father's tears away with a shaky hand and Oropher returned the gesture.

Thranduil sat in the chair, swinging his short legs back and forth. He couldn't wait for the day that his feet could actually touch the floor while he was sitting. He felt a hand on his shoulder as the trader was brought into the throne room and he looked up into his father's face. Oropher smiled reassuringly at his son before turning a stern look on the trader. The trader's greasy, coal-black ,shoulder-length hair swayed back and forth as he was forced to his knees in front of Oropher and his son.

"Why don't you tell us what happened, Ion-nin. Tell us what this man did." Oropher told Thranduil. The elfling prince nodded, his unwavering gaze on the man before him.

"It was about an hour ago, not long after lunch. This man in front of me asked to speak to me. He seemed very nice, and I didn't see any harm in talking to him." Thranduil's gaze hardened. "I was wrong." Oropher nodded, his angry gaze on the trader.

"What happened next?" He asked his son.

"He and I decided we would talk in the gardens, in the more isolated part. That way we could talk in absolute privacy. As soon as we arrived there, his… personality changed completely." Thranduil continued.

"How do you mean?" Oropher asked.

"He got more violent, angrier. I couldn't scream for help, as no one would have heard me. And if I had run I wouldn't have made it far. He started hitting me. At first it didn't hurt much and I felt that I had a fair chance if I fought back." The elfling was beginning to get quite angry. "For the second time, I was wrong. As I struggled, he hit me harder."

"And what did you do?" Oropher asked. He was having difficulty keeping his anger in check.

"I slammed my foot into his crotch as hard as I possibly could. He doubled over and I was able to escape." Thranduil finished. Oropher nodded.

"Hadrian son of Éodred, you are under arrest for crimes against the crown of Greenwood. Guards, get this filth out of my sight." His voice was soft, but it was the amount of anger behind those words that made Hadrian quail. Once the guards led him out of the room and Oropher and his son were left alone, the elven king knelt in front of his shaking son and pulled him into a hug.

"I need to tell you something, Ion-nin." Oropher whispered. Thranduil nodded as he settled against his Ada's chest.

"What is it, Ada?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"Our tears are what make us strong. Tears are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of strength."


	3. The Truth about Thunderstorms

Chapter Three: The Truth About Thunderstorms

The sky seemed to be split in two by the tremendous flash of lightning. Thunder rumbled through the air as the small, golden-haired elfling burrowed deeper under his blankets. He whimpered, fear wrapping its cold fingers around his heart. No amount of teasing would stop little Glorfindel from admitting his hatred of thunderstorms. He hated everything about them: the thunder, the lightning, the rain, and the wind. Not too long before his father had died, he had taught his son a song about storms. He couldn't remember the song, and that fact made him feel very guilty. What would his father think of that?

Glorfindel slowly poked his head out from under the blankets. The thunder growled menacingly and Glorfindel shivered as he slowly slid out of bed. His thought traveled to the monster under his bed and he swallowed nervously. The monster could grab his ankles, pull him under the bed, and eat him any second now. Glorfindel whimpered in fear as he quickly grabbed his toy owl, Hwesta, and hurried from his room. The corridors were dark, except for when lightning flashed across the sky. His footsteps seemed louder than they actually were as he walked towards his naneth's room. He knew she would be tired, but he really wanted to climb into bed with her. There was no doubt in his mind that she would let him do so. The thunder rumbled as the rain slammed against the windows and the walls. Glorfindel was sure that if the small house was alive, the rain would be hurting it.

As soon as he reached the door to his naneth's room, he put his hand on the doorknob and paused. Should he really wake his mother up because of the storm? It was only a little bit of noise and it was probably only scary because he was small. Lightning suddenly tore the sky apart and thunder seemed to shake the very foundation of the house, causing Glorfindel to shriek and fling open the door. His naneth jolted awake and sat up as the door slammed against the wall. Glorfindel scrambled onto his naneth's bed and clung to her.

"What's the matter, penneth?" She whispered as she gathered him into a warm embrace.

"The storm." Glorfindel whimpered. "I do not like the thunder and the lightning. And the rain is hitting the house so hard that it would hurt the house if the house were real." His naneth smiled, love making her heart swell. She pulled her son onto her lap, content on holding him close. Glorfindel was so precious to her and thought of losing him was unbearable.

"Do you remember what Ada told you about the thunder and the lightning?" She asked him. Glorfindel shook his head. He felt guilty for not remembering.

"No. I'm sorry, naneth. It's bad for me to forget about things Ada taught me. It's like forgetting Ada." He sighed.

'I'm sure your Ada would not mind." His naneth replied, love coloring her words.

"What did Ada tell me?" Glorfindel pressed. His naneth smiled.

"You know how the thunder is very loud?" Glorfindel nodded, completely immersed in what his naneth was saying. "Well, that is because the Valar are dancing to their favorite music in the heavens. They are holding a big feast to celebrate life."

"Are they singing too, naneth?" Glorfindel whispered, curiosity and awe evident in his voice. His mother smiled lovingly.

"Yes, little one. That is the wind, the voices of the Valar raising their voices in perfect harmony as they sing along to the songs that the musicians are playing. The songs celebrate life and unending happiness." Glorfindel's eyes were now wide with wonder. He had never imagined that the thunderstorms were the result of something wonderful taking place in the heavens.

"And what about the lightning, naneth? And the rain?" The little elfling asked.

"The lightning is what happens when the Valar light their big fires so that they can cook all their food. And the rain is the tears of the Valar."

"Why are the Valar sad? I thought they were celebrating." Glorfindel said in confusion.

"Oh, the Valar are not sad. They are happy. Their tears are tears of joy. They are rejoicing because the life they have created has not yet faded, and will not for quite some time." Glorfindel nodded. The storm was not so scary anymore. In fact, it was not scary at all. The storm was a celebration. And as he and his naneth settled down in the bed next to each other, he envisioned the halls of the Valar. He tried to picture the Valar dancing and singing, the food and the giant fires. Glorfindel fell asleep with a smile on his face, curled up against his beloved naneth, Hwesta hugged to his chest.

Penneth- Little One

Hwesta- Breeze

Naneth- Mother

Ada- Father


	4. Books and Brothers

Chapter Four: Books and Brothers

He was surprised that no one had bothered to check the library yet. Everyone knew that he hid in the library whenever he wanted to be alone. That was why it was so silly for him to keep hiding in the library. Ten year old Erestor sniffed as he took another book off the shelf and settled back onto the windowsill. He hated it when people picked on him, and he especially hated the fact that the three bullies made him cry just about every day. The thing he loved was the fact that books offered solace.

He heard the door swing open and soft footsteps echoed throughout the mostly empty library. Erestor scowled. It looked like his moping time was up. He closed the book and walked over to the end of the aisle. When he poked his head out from around the corner, he saw his five year old, dark haired little brother. Erestor groaned inwardly. The last thing he needed was a five year old demanding to be read to. His little brother looked up with wide, dark eyes, grinned, and waved. Erestor sighed. He'd been caught.

"Hi, Eres'r." his brother called as he skipped over to his brother's previous hiding spot.

"What do you want, Thalion?" Erestor demanded. Thalion attempted to hold his older brother's hand, but Erestor folded his arms over his chest. Thalion frowned as he regarded his brother's tear-stained cheeks.

"You crying, Eres'r?" He asked, concern coloring his words.

"How's that any of your business?" Erestor snapped. Thalion seemed completely unfazed by his brother's bad temper.

"You like reading. I know you do." Thalion said in a cheerful voice. Erestor's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I am _not_ reading to you, Thalion." He growled. But Thalion paid no attention to his brother. Instead, he walked behind Erestor and began looking at the books. Erestor closed his eyes for a brief moment, took a deep breath, and silently counted to ten before turning to look at his little brother.

"Look, I don't want to read to you, and I won't. I just want to be left alone." He told the elfling, his tone stern.

"You sad, Eres'r. I not leaving you when you sad." Thalion replied as he took a heavy book off the shelf and dropped it on the ground. Dust flew everywhere, but Erestor paid it no mind.

"Don't do that!" He exclaimed as he grabbed the book off the floor and stuck it back on the shelf. "You could easily ruin a book by doing that." Thalion frowned.

'I was gonna' read that to you." He said.

"I don't want you to read to me and I don't want to read to you! I just want to be left alone!" Erestor screamed. Thalion's bottom lip began to quiver. Before Erestor could say anything else, his little brother was out of the library in a flash. Erestor sighed and sat down against the bookshelf. He was finally alone, but he didn't feel good at all.

"You are such an orc, Erestor." Erestor sighed. He let his head hit the bookshelf and closed his eyes for a brief moment before taking the book Thalion had dropped on the ground. A soft smile graced his features when he saw the title of the book. Always the smart one, Thalion had wanted to attempt to read Erestor's favorite book to his big brother. There was no doubt in Erestor's mind that his little brother had more brains and a bigger heart than he did. Erestor stood and exited the library, book under his arm. Hopefully he could find Thalion before his Ada or Naneth did.

"Hey, bookworm!" Erestor groaned inwardly and kept walking. He didn't have time for this. But of course the stupid bullies didn't care about that. How could they when they had more brawn than they had brains?

"Come on, Erestor. We only want to talk."

_That's what you said last time_ Erestor thought, anger bubbling up inside of him. He quickened his pace as he rounded the corner, and came to an abrupt halt when he came face to face with the third bully.

"What do you want, Mardion?" Erestor sighed. "Can't you pick on someone your own size, or are you too big of a baby to try that?" Mardion's bright blue eyes darkened with anger and Erestor groaned inwardly. Mardion was at least two heads taller than him. They were the same age, but Mardion was taller. Why did he always have to offend the one that was taller? The other two bullies came up behind him, not giving Erestor much of a chance at escape.

_So much for finding my brother_ He thought _I should have just read to Thalion. Then I wouldn't have had to go looking for him. _Mardion took a step towards him and Erestor took an instinctive step back, right in to the waiting arms of the other two bullies. One of them wrenched the ancient book out of his grasp and the other grabbed a hold of him, pinning his arms to his sides. He was pretty sure Alyan had a hold of him, but his gaze was locked onto Mardion and he didn't feel like looking.

"Now, where do you want me to hit you first? Or would you like me to choose?" Mardion sneered. Erestor's gaze hardened.

"Go to hell, Mardion." He spat. Mardion glared at his victim and backhanded him. Erestor bit his tongue to keep from crying out. Where were the grown-ups when you needed them?

"You leave my big brother alone!" Erestor gasped and looked behind him the best he could. Of all the people to fend the bullies off for him…

"Thalion? What are you doing here? Get the grown-ups!" Erestor exclaimed, finally regaining some sense after a few seconds. Thalion shook his head and took something out of his back pocket. Erestor's eyes widened. Did his little brother really think that he could fend off three bullies, all of whom were five or six heads taller than him, with nothing but a slingshot? Despite his disbelief, Erestor did have to admire his brother's bravery.

"No, Thalion!" Erestor exclaimed. "Get the grown-ups! I don't care who, just get somebody!" Thalion, however, was not in the listening mood. He took a rock out of his pocket and aimed at Alyan.

"Let him go." Thalion growled.

"Go back to your toy soldiers, elfling. What do you think you are, some kind of hero? Erestor here doesn't need you, brat. He's got us." Alyan jeered. He was rewarded with a smooth, round pebble smacking his forehead and a sharp kick in a place too impolite to mention. Erestor managed to get his arms free and dealt Alyan a stinging slap. He was angry. Thalion reloaded the slingshot and pointed it at Mardion. He was going to get him if it was the last thing he did.

Erestor, however, had no time to think about who he wanted to take down first. He was warding off blows from all three of his tormenters. Alyan, however, wasn't making too many attempts at bringing Erestor down, so it wasn't really that bad of a fight. Not when your little brother decided that he was going to hit Mardion with one of his bigger rocks in a place too impolite to mention. Erestor grinned when Mardion doubled over. He pushed past Alyan and Bregolien, snatched the book from the floor, and dragged Thalion away from the fight.

"You could have gotten hurt, Thalion." Erestor admonished.

"Yeah, but aren't you glad I did it?" Thalion asked cheerfully, fighting to keep up with his older brother, who was half dragging him down the hall. Erestor had to grin at that.

Chapter Four: Books and Brothers

He was surprised that no one had bothered to check the library yet. Everyone knew that he hid in the library whenever he wanted to be alone. That was why it was so silly for him to keep hiding in the library. Ten year old Erestor sniffed as he took another book off the shelf and settled back onto the windowsill. He hated it when people picked on him, and he especially hated the fact that the three bullies made him cry just about every day. The thing he loved was the fact that books offered solace.

He heard the door swing open and soft footsteps echoed throughout the mostly empty library. Erestor scowled. It looked like his moping time was up. He closed the book and walked over to the end of the aisle. When he poked his head out from around the corner, he saw his five year old, dark haired little brother. Erestor groaned inwardly. The last thing he needed was a five year old demanding to be read to. His little brother looked up with wide, dark eyes, grinned, and waved. Erestor sighed. He'd been caught.

"Hi, Eres'r." his brother called as he skipped over to his brother's previous hiding spot.

"What do you want, Thalion?" Erestor demanded. Thalion attempted to hold his older brother's hand, but Erestor folded his arms over his chest. Thalion frowned as he regarded his brother's tear-stained cheeks.

"You crying, Eres'r?" He asked, concern coloring his words.

"How's that any of your business?" Erestor snapped. Thalion seemed completely unfazed by his brother's bad temper.

"You like reading. I know you do." Thalion said in a cheerful voice. Erestor's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I am _not reading to you, Thalion." He growled. But Thalion paid no attention to his brother. Instead, he walked behind Erestor and began looking at the books. Erestor closed his eyes for a brief moment, took a deep breath, and silently counted to ten before turning to look at his little brother._

"Look, I don't want to read to you, and I won't. I just want to be left alone." He told the elfling, his tone stern.

"You sad, Eres'r. I not leaving you when you sad." Thalion replied as he took a heavy book off the shelf and dropped it on the ground. Dust flew everywhere, but Erestor paid it no mind.

"Don't do that!" He exclaimed as he grabbed the book off the floor and stuck it back on the shelf. "You could easily ruin a book by doing that." Thalion frowned.

'I was gonna' read that to you." He said.

"I don't want you to read to me and I don't want to read to you! I just want to be left alone!" Erestor screamed. Thalion's bottom lip began to quiver. Before Erestor could say anything else, his little brother was out of the library in a flash. Erestor sighed and sat down against the bookshelf. He was finally alone, but he didn't feel good at all.

"You are such an orc, Erestor." Erestor sighed. He let his head hit the bookshelf and closed his eyes for a brief moment before taking the book Thalion had dropped on the ground. A soft smile graced his features when he saw the title of the book. Always the smart one, Thalion had wanted to attempt to read Erestor's favorite book to his big brother. There was no doubt in Erestor's mind that his little brother had more brains and a bigger heart than he did. Erestor stood and exited the library, book under his arm. Hopefully he could find Thalion before his Ada or Naneth did.

"Hey, bookworm!" Erestor groaned inwardly and kept walking. He didn't have time for this. But of course the stupid bullies didn't care about that. How could they when they had more brawn than they had brains?

"Come on, Erestor. We only want to talk."

_That's what you said last time Erestor thought, anger bubbling up inside of him. He quickened his pace as he rounded the corner, and came to an abrupt halt when he came face to face with the third bully._

"What do you want, Mardion?" Erestor sighed. "Can't you pick on someone your own size, or are you too big of a baby to try that?" Mardion's bright blue eyes darkened with anger and Erestor groaned inwardly. Mardion was at least two heads taller than him. They were the same age, but Mardion was taller. Why did he always have to offend the one that was taller? The other two bullies came up behind him, not giving Erestor much of a chance at escape.

_So much for finding my brother He thought __I should have just read to Thalion. Then I wouldn't have had to go looking for him. Mardion took a step towards him and Erestor took an instinctive step back, right in to the waiting arms of the other two bullies. One of them wrenched the ancient book out of his grasp and the other grabbed a hold of him, pinning his arms to his sides. He was pretty sure Alyan had a hold of him, but his gaze was locked onto Mardion and he didn't feel like looking._

"Now, where do you want me to hit you first? Or would you like me to choose?" Mardion sneered. Erestor's gaze hardened.

"Go to hell, Mardion." He spat. Mardion glared at his victim and backhanded him. Erestor bit his tongue to keep from crying out. Where were the grown-ups when you needed them?

"You leave my big brother alone!" Erestor gasped and looked behind him the best he could. Of all the people to fend the bullies off for him…

"Thalion? What are you doing here? Get the grown-ups!" Erestor exclaimed, finally regaining some sense after a few seconds. Thalion shook his head and took something out of his back pocket. Erestor's eyes widened. Did his little brother really think that he could fend off three bullies, all of whom were five or six heads taller than him, with nothing but a slingshot? Despite his disbelief, Erestor did have to admire his brother's bravery.

"No, Thalion!" Erestor exclaimed. "Get the grown-ups! I don't care who, just get somebody!" Thalion, however, was not in the listening mood. He took a rock out of his pocket and aimed at Alyan.

"Let him go." Thalion growled.

"Go back to your toy soldiers, elfling. What do you think you are, some kind of hero? Erestor here doesn't need you, brat. He's got us." Alyan jeered. He was rewarded with a smooth, round pebble smacking his forehead and a sharp kick in a place too impolite to mention. Erestor managed to get his arms free and dealt Alyan a stinging slap. He was angry. Thalion reloaded the slingshot and pointed it at Mardion. He was going to get him if it was the last thing he did.

Erestor, however, had no time to think about who he wanted to take down first. He was warding off blows from all three of his tormenters. Alyan, however, wasn't making too many attempts at bringing Erestor down, so it wasn't really that bad of a fight. Not when your little brother decided that he was going to hit Mardion with one of his bigger rocks in a place too impolite to mention. Erestor grinned when Mardion doubled over. He pushed past Alyan and Bregolien, snatched the book from the floor, and dragged Thalion away from the fight.

"You could have gotten hurt, Thalion." Erestor admonished.

"Yeah, but aren't you glad I did it?" Thalion asked cheerfully, fighting to keep up with his older brother, who was half dragging him down the hall. Erestor had to grin at that. The bullies were subdued for now. Subdued and angry. But they'd probably nurse their injuries for a while before attacking Erestor again. And it was all because of his determined little brother.

_Big little brother_ Erestor corrected silently _He's my big little brother_


	5. An Unexpected Explanation

Chapter Five: An Unexpected Explanation 

The silver-haired elfling looked up at the older elf standing next to him. He bit his lip, not sure if he should ask the question or not. Tentatively, six year old Celeborn reached out and gently tugged on his brother's sleeve. His brother, Galathil, smiled down at him.

"What is it, Cel?" He asked.

"I… wanted to ask you something important." Celeborn replied. Galathil knelt down in front of his younger brother.

"What did you want to ask me?" He asked. Celeborn swore he felt his face redden and he bit his lip, hesitant to ask.

"Well, the other day I heard Alya talking to naneth. She said her sister had a miscarriage, and I was wondering, what's a miscarriage?" Galathil smiled, but nit unkindly.

"Well, you know how before a baby is born, they grow in their mother's tummy, right?" He asked. Celeborn nodded. "Well, a miscarriage is when the baby goes to Mandos before he or she is born." Celeborn's eyes widened.

"The baby dies?" He exclaimed. Galathil pulled his brother into a hug, mentally kicking himself for being so frank when answering his little brother's question. "Why, Gal? Why would Mandos take the baby before he or she had a chance to know his Ada and Naneth?"

"It's not like that, Cel. The baby usually wants to go to Mandos." Galathil replied. Celeborn looked at his brother in confusion.

"How could someone _not_ want to live?" He asked. Celeborn loved life and he couldn't understand how someone could not love life. Galathil had to think about Celeborn's question for a moment or two. He really should be having this talk with his younger brother when he was a bit older. Celeborn looked at his brother inquiringly and that was when Galathil had an idea. He picked his brother up and walked further into the gardens.

"Well, that's the thing." He said. "The babies do want to live, but they want to live in a… different form." Celeborn frowned.

"I don't understand." He said Galathil smiled.

"When a baby decides to go to Mandos before they are born, they want to live as something else, like a… tree." Celeborn gave his brother a look that plainly said he thought his big brother was crazy.

"Why would anyone want to live as a tree?" The younger asked. Galathil couldn't help but laugh. He thought he sounded pretty ridiculous, too.

"That's not exactly what I meant." He replied. Celeborn nodded.

"What did you mean, then?" He asked.

"When a baby decides they want to be born as something else, what they really want is for their life-energy to be replaced in something else." Galathil replied.

"Like a tree." Celeborn said with a grin.

"Yes, smart-aleck. Like a tree." Galathil sighed good-naturedly.

"But, what's life-energy?" Celeborn asked, his young features twisting into a look of confusion.

"Well, let's see." Galathil replied, searching for a way to explain it in a way that his six year old brother would understand. Celeborn grinned.

"You don't even know what it is, do you?" He laughed.

"I do. I'm just… trying to find a way to explain it in a way that you'll understand." Galathil replied. " Let's see. Basically, life-energy is the energy inside of you. It sustains you, keeps you alive. It flows through you. That's what the baby wants. For their life energy to be converted into something else, so they can, in a way, live as something else. So, you see, Cel, the baby doesn't really die. He or she is just changed into something different." Celeborn nodded. He was pretty sure he understood now.

"So, could a dwarf baby be changed to an elf baby? Could they have their life-energy changed like that?" The elfling asked.

"No." Galathil replied. "No, not like that."

"So, if I had wanted to, could I have chosen to be born as a tree?" Celeborn asked.

"Enough with the tree!" Galathil exclaimed in exasperation. Celeborn burst out laughing.

Chapter Five: An Unexpected Explanation

The silver-haired elfling looked up at the older elf standing next to him. He bit his lip, not sure if he should ask the question or not. Tentatively, six year old Celeborn reached out and gently tugged on his brother's sleeve. His brother, Galathil, smiled down at him.

"What is it, Cel?" He asked.

"I… wanted to ask you something important." Celeborn replied. Galathil knelt down in front of his younger brother.

"What did you want to ask me?" He asked. Celeborn swore he felt his face redden and he bit his lip, hesitant to ask.

"Well, the other day I heard Alya talking to naneth. She said her sister had a miscarriage, and I was wondering, what's a miscarriage?" Galathil smiled, but nit unkindly.

"Well, you know how before a baby is born, they grow in their mother's tummy, right?" He asked. Celeborn nodded. "Well, a miscarriage is when the baby goes to Mandos before he or she is born." Celeborn's eyes widened.

"The baby dies?" He exclaimed. Galathil pulled his brother into a hug, mentally kicking himself for being so frank when answering his little brother's question. "Why, Gal? Why would Mandos take the baby before he or she had a chance to know his Ada and Naneth?"

"It's not like that, Cel. The baby usually wants to go to Mandos." Galathil replied. Celeborn looked at his brother in confusion.

"How could someone _not_ want to live?" He asked. Celeborn loved life and he couldn't understand how someone could not love life. Galathil had to think about Celeborn's question for a moment or two. He really should be having this talk with his younger brother when he was a bit older. Celeborn looked at his brother inquiringly and that was when Galathil had an idea. He picked his brother up and walked further into the gardens.

"Well, that's the thing." He said. "The babies do want to live, but they want to live in a… different form." Celeborn frowned.

"I don't understand." He said Galathil smiled.

"When a baby decides to go to Mandos before they are born, they want to live as something else, like a… tree." Celeborn gave his brother a look that plainly said he thought his big brother was crazy.

"Why would anyone want to live as a tree?" The younger asked. Galathil couldn't help but laugh. He thought he sounded pretty ridiculous, too.

"That's not exactly what I meant." He replied. Celeborn nodded.

"What did you mean, then?" He asked.

"When a baby decides they want to be born as something else, what they really want is for their life-energy to be replaced in something else." Galathil replied.

"Like a tree." Celeborn said with a grin.

"Yes, smart-aleck. Like a tree." Galathil sighed good-naturedly.

"But, what's life-energy?" Celeborn asked, his young features twisting into a look of confusion.

"Well, let's see." Galathil replied, searching for a way to explain it in a way that his six year old brother would understand. Celeborn grinned.

"You don't even know what it is, do you?" He laughed.

"I do. I'm just… trying to find a way to explain it in a way that you'll understand." Galathil replied. " Let's see. Basically, life-energy is the energy inside of you. It sustains you, keeps you alive. It flows through you. That's what the baby wants. For their life energy to be converted into something else, so they can, in a way, live as something else. So, you see, Cel, the baby doesn't really die. He or she is just changed into something different." Celeborn nodded. He was pretty sure he understood now.

"So, could a dwarf baby be changed to an elf baby? Could they have their life-energy changed like that?" The elfling asked.

"No." Galathil replied. "No, not like that."

"So, if I had wanted to, could I have chosen to be born as a tree?" Celeborn asked.

"Enough with the tree!" Galathil exclaimed in exasperation. Celeborn burst out laughing.

_I really hope that material wasn't too "heavy," if you know what I mean._


	6. Always There for You

Chapter Six: Always There for You

It was a cool, peaceful night. The moon shone brightly through the window, creating shadows all around the medium sized bedroom. Toys were scattered all over the floor, dirty clothes thrown in a heap in one of the corners, and on the bed was a small shaking form, looking around the room with wide, fearful eyes, his knees hugged tightly to his chest. His name was Elrond. In one hand, he was gripping his toy fox, Faeron, and his worn, green blanket in the other. He was frightened, but not of the monster under his bed, even though the monster was scary. To his frightened mind, the shadows hid the monsters from him. They were waiting to pounce on him, but the darkness didn't want him to see that. But he wasn't clueless. He knew that the monsters were there, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Elrond looked up in alarm when the doorknob suddenly turned. He watched with wide eyes, preparing for the worse, as the door quietly swung open. Elrond relaxed visibly when he saw it was just Elros, his twin.

"Gwador-nin, you scared me." Elrond whispered. Elros closed the door and hurried over to his brother he jumped onto the bed and huddled close to his twin. Elrond put an arm around Elros's shoulder, his senses telling him something was wrong.

"Are you okay?" Elrond asked. Elros shrugged and twisted his blue, threadbare blanket in his hands. Elrond draped his own blanket over his brother's shoulders and pushed Faeron onto Elros's lap.

"Come on, tell me." He pressed. Elros shrugged again and hugged his knees to his chest. Elrond pulled his brother closer to him so that Elros was leaning against him.

"I had a nightmare." Elros muttered.

"Me too." Elrond replied. "Do you want to talk about it?" Elros shook his head.

"Not really." He whispered. "I just want to forget it and pretend it never happened."

"Easier said than done, right?" Elrond asked. Elros nodded and rested his head on his brother's shoulder. Elrond tightened his grip on Elros's shoulders, wishing that he could make Elros's nightmare disappear so that it would seem like it really _didn't _ happen.

"But it doesn't have to be, gwador-nin." Elros looked at his brother, curiosity gleaming in his dark eyes.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, you can think about good things. That'll make the nightmare go away. You see, nightmares are like shadows, and happy thoughts are like sunlight. In order to make the shadows disappear, you need to have sunlight, or any type of light." Elrond replied. Elros nodded, a small smile on his young face.

"I see. Apply light and the shadows disappear." He whispered. He wrapped his skinny arms around his brother's neck. "Thank you, El. Thank you for being there for me." Elrond smiled and wrapped his brother in a hug.

"Here's one thing you must not forget, Elros, no matter what happens. I will always be there for you, rain or shine, shadows or no shadows, day or night, nightmares or no nightmares. You are my brother, and I will always be there for you." Elros nodded. He understood, and he would never forget his brother's words. He swore to himself that he would always hold them in his heart, tuck them back in a safe place in his mind so he could hear them when Elrond was too far away and couldn't reassure him that the nightmares would disappear with a little light. Elrond did not know it, but to Elros his brother _was_ the light. And for him, that would always be true.

"Now," Elrond began "what do you say to getting some sleep?" Elros stiffened. The nightmare suddenly flew to the front of his mind and Elros whimpered. Elrond tightened his hold on his brother.

"It's all right, gwador-nin. You can sleep with me tonight. I will protect you, never you fear." Elros nodded and crawled under the blankets next to his brother. He snuggled close to Elrond as Elrond wrapped a protective arm around his shoulders. And Elros knew then that everything was going to be okay. He buried his face in his brother's chest and fell asleep almost immediately.

_Epilogue, anyone?_


	7. Elflings No Longer

Epilogue: Elflings No Longer

Erestor looked up as the library doors opened and smiled.

"You're late." He commented, his tone neutral. Thalion shrugged.

"I got here as fast as I could. It's not my fault I was trying hit those annoying birds." He replied. Erestor gave Thalion a look.

"Please tell me you aren't talking about a slingshot." He sighed.

"Oh, but I am talking about a slingshot. Besides, it was only to amuse Legolas." Thalion replied brightly.

"Legolas was amused by you trying to hit birds with your slingshot?" Erestor asked, shock evident in his voice. If that was true, there had to be something seriously wrong with Legolas. Thalion rolled his eyes.

"No, I had to stop that after a while because Legolas wasn't happy." He replied. Erestor was relieved. There wasn't anything wrong with Legolas after all. "So, I switched to trying to hit the apples on the apple trees instead. And then I hit a bird." Thalion finished. Erestor shook his head. His brother was such an idiot sometimes. Thalion took a book off the shelf and grinned. He reverently wiped the dust off the cover before showing it to his dark-haired brother.

"Remember this?" He asked. Erestor threw a quick glance at the book and nodded.

"I remember it." He replied.

"That's all you've got to say? Do you remember what this book has been through?" Thalion gasped in mock horror.

"Yes. It's been through your brutal treatment. How could I forget?" Thalion shook his head and sighed. He took the slingshot out of his back pocket before walking over to the windowsill. He sat down on the worn, green cushion and opened the book. Erestor couldn't help but smile as his little brother began to read the book. His favorite book. Of course he remembered it! It was the book Thalion had wanted to read to Erestor all those years ago, not too many minutes before they took on three bullies with instinct, a slingshot, brotherly love, and a pair of stones.

"So, have you seen Mardion lately?" Thalion asked after a few moments silence. Erestor actually smiled.

"I have. He's currently pulling weeds, trimming the hedges, and watering the plants in the garden while I'm stuck in here with the very things I love most." The older replied.

"Books." Thalion stated. Erestor walked over to his brother and folded his arms over his chest.

"You're forgetting something." He said in a calm voice.

"Um, the tables?" Thalion guessed. Erestor gave his brother a funny look.

"The chairs?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"The… windows."

"The windows? Thalion, really?"

"The window seats!"

"What has gotten into you?" Thalion ran a hand through his thick, brown hair.

"Very well, I'm out of ideas. What am I forgetting?" He sighed.

"You, you triple-headed twerp! I'm stuck in here with books and you! How could you not get _that_?" Erestor exclaimed. Thalion grinned.

"Oh, yes. I forgot. I love you, too." Once again, Erestor had to marvel at how much of an idiot his brother was.

**Next Scene:**

She felt the elfling stir in her arms and heard her mutter something incomprehensible. A soft smile graced her features as she looked down at her six year old daughter. Little Celebrian had had not had the best of days and had finally found comfort in her mother's open arms. Galadriel smoothed down her daughter's tangled hair as Celeborn entered the room.

"How is she?" He asked. "I hear those ellons were giving her a hard time." Galadriel nodded. Celebrian's dark eyes slid open and she blinked sleepily. Celeborn took her in his arms and ruffled her hair.

"I hear you had a bit of a bad day." He commented. Celebrian scowled and looked down at the stone floor, wishing she could just disappear. She did not want to talk about her day at all.

"It could not have been that bad." Galadriel piped up, her tone soothing.

"I do not like mean ellons." Celebrian grumbled. "I like _nice_ ellons."

"That is good." Celeborn replied. "Now, tell us what those mean ellons did." Celebrian scratched her head and sighed.

"Well, Arandur said I looked too pretty for my own good so he threw a mud ball at me to make me look dirtier. He doesn't want me to look pretty. He likes it when I'm acting like an ellon and getting dirty. Then Arthion tripped me and I slipped and fell into the pond. Thorontur decided that we should play tag and everyone but me got a chance at being it. So, I finally decided that I would come home because I wanted to change my dress and be alone for a bit. But I couldn't do that." She told her parents.

"Why couldn't you come home, sweetling?" Galadriel asked as she took her daughter from Celeborn.

"Because Vanna and Nellethiel found me and pulled me into one of their stupid games. And then their brothers found us and were teasing us, mostly me because I was a mess.' Celebrian replied. Galadriel nodded.

"Next time those boys throw mud at you, tease you, or make you fall into rivers, Iel-nin, throw mud back, trip them, or tease them." Celeborn said, a smile on his face. Celebrian grinned.

"Celeborn!" Galadriel groaned. "Do not teach her things like that."

**Next Scene:**

The rain was drenching him, chilling him to the bone, and it was hard to ignore those two facts. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed across the sky, tearing it in two. The wind howled so loud that he could barely hear himself think. He looked down at the shivering child next to him, clinging to his hand as if it was his only lifeline.

"Are you okay, Legolas?" Glorfindel called over the howling wind. The elfling did not reply, only wiped his nose on the back of his hand. Glorfindel got the slightest suspicion that the elfling's shoulders were not shaking from the cold. He lifted the elfling into his arms; his suspicions confirmed when he heard Legolas's soft sobs. The elfling wrapped his arms around Glorfindel's neck and buried his face in the older elf's shoulder. Glorfindel mentally kicked himself for not hurrying back to the castle with Legolas at the first sign that a storm was coming. He knew how terrified Legolas was of storms, and he knew that being out in one must be like some sort of torture for the elfling. A thought suddenly came to mind and he smiled. He silently thanked his mother before speaking.

"Legolas, have I ever told you what thunderstorms really are?" Glorfindel asked.

"D-do I want t-to know?" Legolas sobbed.

"Yes, I think you do." Glorfindel replied, but not unkindly. Legolas nodded. He trusted the older elf with his life. "Well, you know how thunder is very loud?" The elfling nodded. "The thunder isn't really thunder at all. It's the sound of the Valar dancing. You see, whenever there is a thunderstorm, it is a sign that the Valar are celebrating life, happiness, joy, and creation." Lightning suddenly split the sky in two, causing Legolas to whimper. Glorfindel decided he'd better tell Legolas about the lightning before he said anything about the rain and the wind.

"And the lightning is nothing more than flint on steel. The lightning is the spark that comes from that. And the spark lights one of many giant fires that the Valar use to cook all of the food for the feast they are having."

"They have a lot of food, Glorfy?" Legolas asked. Glorfindel smiled. It was working, just as it had for him all those years ago.

"Yes, Legolas. They have so much food that it could all fit in the great hall and your room." Glorfindel replied. Legolas was silent for a while, listening to the sounds of the Valar dancing. He smiled at the idea that perhaps one of the Vala fell off their chairs, therefore creating the thunder. It was a bit of an entertaining notion. Glorfindel ducked under a low branch and smiled. Finally, Thranduil's Halls were in sight.

'But, what about the rain and the wind? What makes those sounds, Glorfindel?" Legolas asked.

"Now, the wind is actually the voices of the Valar raised in perfect harmony as they sing songs of life, happiness, joy, and love. And they are so happy, that they cry tears of joy. That is where the rain comes from." Glorfindel replied, his mind taking him back to the picture he had painted for himself so many millennia ago.

"We're being drenched in the Valar's happy tears." Legolas whispered, his voice so low, Glorfindel could just barely make out what the elfling had said. The older elf smiled as he wiped a few dripping wet, blonde locks of hair out of Legolas's face. He had certainly never thought of it like that.

"And we get to hear the Valar singing and dancing. We're allowed to see the light of their fires and join the celebration in our own special way." Legolas said. Glorfindel barely heard what Legolas said and he was glad that he was able to make them out. He smiled, glad that he had been given a chance to share his mother's love and wisdom with someone else. They reached the gates and hurried through them. Thranduil burst through the large, double doors leading into the courtyard. Worry and relief were etched all over his fair face. He took the elfling from Glorfindel before ushering the older inside. Glorfindel hurried to his room to get changed into some dry clothes and Thranduil hurried to Legolas's room, where he set the elfling on the bed and rummaged through his son's wardrobe in search of some dry clothes.

"I'm sorry, Ada." Legolas whispered as he wiped his nose on the back of his hand. Thranduil looked over at his son with a smile.

"Whatever for?" He asked.

"For being so weak." Legolas replied as he blinked back the tears that threatened to spill onto his cheeks. Thranduil's mind suddenly took him back to the days of his youth, a conversation with his father, what his father had told him about tears…

"Legolas, I don't think I understand." Thranduil told his son as he sat down on the bed next to him.

"Tears make you weak." Legolas whispered. He wanted to cry so badly, but he couldn't allow that. His naneth was dead, but he couldn't allow himself to cry. That would just prove to everyone how weak he truly was. Thranduil gently pulled Legolas onto his lap and hugged the elfling close. He wished his father were here now. If only Legolas knew that his Ada had thought the same thing about tears so long ago. By the Valar, he missed his own father. He missed his wife and his mother. He missed their laughter, their smiles, the way they made him feel safer and stronger.

"Legolas, I'm going to tell you something my Ada told me long ago, when I was about your age, maybe a little younger. He told me that our tears are what make us strong. He told me that tears are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. You see, I thought that tears showed weakness, but it is not so. Tears show everyone how strong you truly are. Do not shun the tears, Legolas, Ion-nin. Tears are a good thing." Thranduil told his son in his gentlest, most assuring tone. Legolas let out a loud, gut-wrenching sob and began to cry. Thranduil stood, his son in his arms, and rubbed circles around the elfling's back. He swore he felt his heart shatter and heard his soul scream at the sound of his son's sobs. Tears began to run down Thranduil's cheeks, but he made no moved to wipe them away. The wind howled and thunder boomed as rain pelted the window. Legolas tried to find comfort in his Ada's embrace, but instead he found it in the sounds of the Valar's celebration. Naneth was part of the celebration, too.

**Next Scene:**

It was hard not to think about him, especially today. Today he felt the hole in his heart a little too keenly. Elrond sighed and set the quill down on his desk before getting up and walking over to the window, his hands clasped behind his back. He missed his brother dearly. He missed the late night chats, the inside jokes they would laugh about whenever other people were around. But, most of all, he missed not being able to talk to his brother anymore. They had gone down separate paths, Elros chose to be mortal and Elrond chose immortality. Elrond had been angry at his brother, confused as to why his brother would choose the path that would one day take him away from his brother. They were supposed to be inseparable. When they were elflings, they used to say that if death took one of them, death was going to have to take the other, too. But that was not so.

Elrond's thoughts were broken when the door to the study slowly creaked open. Elrond turned to see Elrohir poking his head into the room. He smiled and motioned for the elfling to come to him. Elrohir hurried over to his Ada and wrapped his skinny arms around Elrond's neck.

"Ada, how do you make nightmares go away?" He asked. Elrond lifted his son into his arms.

'Well, Ion-nin, you just have to think of something happy." He replied.

"Something happy?" Elrohir asked. His voice was muffled, due to the fact that his face was pressed against his Ada's shoulder.

"Yes, something happy. Let's say your nightmare is a dark room. In order to make the darkness go away, you must have light. And the light is a happy thought. That is all you need to push the nightmare away. Just one happy thought." Elrond replied. Elrohir looked up at his Ada.

"So, just one happy thought to make your mind light up again?" He asked. Elrond smiled and brushed his son's tangled hair out of his face.

"Yes, Elrohir. Just one happy thought to make your mind light up again." He replied in a soft voice. Maybe it wasn't so hard to think about Elros after all. His brother would always be with him, no matter what happened. And even in death, Elros was still smiling at him. Elros was still watching his twin as though nothing was separating them. And, in all truthfulness, there really was nothing separating them.


End file.
